We’ve acquired 3 leading web3 solution providers, and metaverse platform builders to further strengthen our position as the world’s most trusted enterprise Web3 platform, purpose built for agencies, brands and creators.
Today we’re excited to share with you that we’ve acquired Switzerland’s BLOCKv Solutions, Australia’s Geronimo and the UK’s Austella to further grow our end-to-end Web3, Metaverse and NFT offerings across the UK, Europe and APAC. With new offices and friendly faces in Melbourne, Zug and London, these latest acquisitions further establish SmartMedia Technologies as the most technically sophisticated, user-friendly and integrated global platform for Web3 and metaverse marketing solutions on the market.
“When SMT was created in 2019, our goal was to bring the best and brightest in Web3 to our team. Our Enterprise clients demand a comprehensive solution, spanning technology and services, and they need it globally. They also need the expertise and technology capabilities to bridge the chasm between what they’re doing in Web2 to Web3. These acquisitions significantly boost the talent on our team, extend our platform features and ultimately accelerate our ability to deliver better business outcomes.”
Here’s a brief breakdown of our newest team member’s backgrounds, capabilities and how they’ll fit into the wider team. We’ll also be further showcasing some of their great work on our social channels and website over the coming weeks, so stay tuned.
BLOCKv Solutions
The team at BLOCKv Solutions have a storied history of development in the NFT and Web3 space, creating the world’s first platform for building NFTs way back in 2016, when blockchain technology was in its infancy. Since then, the professional services company has worked tirelessly to develop their initial proposition into the world’s most advanced protocol for creating, minting and distributing Smart NFTs. The acquisition brings some of the foremost experts in web3 technology under our umbrella, enabling SmartMedia Technologies to supercharge its already market-leading NFT capabilities and further enable major brands to build Web3 strategies that help increase brand recognition, customer loyalty and overall sales. As part of the acquisition, Lukas Fluri, co-founder of BLOCKv and CEO of BLOCKv Solutions, will join SMT as Chief Product Officer, and Gunther Thiel will join as SMT’s Web3 Chief Technology Officer.
“BLOCKv has been a partner of SMT since 2019” says Lukas Fluri. “After three years of collaboration accelerating consumer adoption of Web3, it’s become clear that we are stronger together. Tyler and his team are pioneers in the evolution of Web3 and I’m looking forward to being part of a team that’s done so much for this emerging sector and drive further innovation and growth of Web3 together.”
Austella
Founded in 2014, Austella is a digital studio that focuses on developing interactive, immersive games and apps that combine virtual and augmented reality with blockchain and NFT technology. The company first gained attention during the earliest days of consumer virtual reality, when its subsidiary Tammeka Games published Radial-G, a high-paced, futuristic VR racing game that was critically acclaimed as a technical masterclass that pushed the limitations of early VR hardware to new heights. After the game was picked up by gaming behemoth Valve’s Steam Greenlight programme, the team caught the attention of Google, who issued them a coveted grant to create further VR content for the rapidly expanding market. Following a string of gaming focused releases, the team recognised the potential of extended reality technology as a form of increasing consumer engagement and pivoted to the world of adtech and metaverse creation. Today, Austella powers Costa Coffee’s BURT scheme, a blockchain backed solution to single-use waste that pairs reusable takeaway coffee cups in-store with an NFT ‘twin’ that users can borrow and later return by scanning a QR code on the bottom of the cup. Every cup’s status and owner was instantly available to Costa. Austella also creates educational VR training simulators for individuals with a range of learning disabilities and mental issues, as well as recovering drug addicts, through a partnership with the charity First Step Trust.
Geronimo
Established in 2015 and based in Sydney, Australia, Geronimo is an Effie Award Winning CX agency that works with leading brands including Google, Amazon and Microsoft on a full suite of technical solutions and services, including; business and technology consulting, the creation of CX solutions (the collective term for consumer experiences leveraging VR, AR and Metaverse experiences) and consumer NFC and blockchain app development for PC, console and mobile.
